Lewis & Clark
Meeting The Flatheads
CHAR-KOOSTA
PUBLISHED BY CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES, FLATHEAD AGENCY. MONT.
Vol. 3 — No. 7
June, 1959
by Charles M. Russell, 1865-1926
The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1805-6 was the most significant of all explorations which helped open the American West to settlement. It was a favorite subject of The Cowboy Artist, who did it many times. The magnificent canvas reproduced here is almost 25 by 12 feet and covers the entire back wall of the House of Representatives Chamber in the Montana State Capitol at Helena. It is not only the largest, by far, of all Russell paintings and one of the best—but generally in the judgement of the experts—the greatest of all western historical paintings.
The incident itself (although singularly beautiful in its conception, composition and color) was not of great moment to the expedition. The setting is Ross' Hole (or Rosses Fork) at the head of the Bitterroot River, in the lovely mountain country of present southwestern Montana. The important incident here occurred almost three weeks earlier, when the expedition, by fortuitous circumtance had finally secured Indian horses which provided the only possible means of their crossing the terrible barricade of the main Rockies separating them from the Pacific. But that deal was with the Snake Indians and it took place on what is now Idaho soil. Russell sought a Montana setting.
Since the last day of August the expedition had been probing northward for a passage across the forbidding Continental Divide. Upon descending the
steep north slope they came to this placid valley, later known as Ross' Hole, where they found some 400 hospitable Flathead Indians well camped, with ample game, fine grass for their 500 horses, and good mountain water.
The painting depicts the initial meeting on Sept. 4, 1805, with the Flatheads. The two Captains, Saca-jawea and an old Shoshone guide at right, by sign language, are communicating their desire to make camp here and trade. This they did, not only gaining food, but additional pack animals and good instructions which shortly enabled them to locate and cross over the all-important Lolo Pass;, without which they might never have reached the Pacific.
As for Charles Marion Russell, little need be said except that he is now acknowledged as the greatest of the Old West artists. Born in St. Louis, he came to Montana as a boy, spending his final 46 years living the frontier life, and later observing and understanding it as have few men. Although self-taught, his genius could not be short-circuited because of his deep, searching knowledge. As a documentarian he has seldom been equalled. As a man and as an artist he was deeply loved; so much that he is the only Montanan ever elected to National Statuary Hall in the Nation's Capitol, Washington, D. C.
The Char-Koosta is indebted to the Montana Historical Society, Helena, for permission to reproduced Mr. Russell's painting and the accompaning text.—W.M.